Matthew 7:6 (KJV)
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
This verse appears to stand alone. It seems to have little connection to the following verse on prayer and could easily be isolated from the preceding passage. What role does it play in the admonition to remove the beam from our own eye before addressing the mote in our brother’s eye?
John Gill, however, draws a connection between the two:
“Here the phrase is used in a metaphorical sense and is generally understood of not delivering or communicating the holy word of God and the truths of the Gospel, comparable to pearls, or the ordinances of it, to persons notoriously vile and sinful: to men who, being violent and furious persecutors and impudent blasphemers, are compared to ‘dogs’; or to such who are scandalously vile, impure in their lives and conversations, and are therefore compared to swine. … But since the subject Christ is upon is reproof, it seems rather to be the design of these expressions that men should be cautious and prudent in rebuking and admonishing such persons for their sins, in whom there is no appearance or hope of success; yea, where there is danger of sustaining loss…”
Here’s how I’ve always understood verses 1-5:
I have just about all I can do to deal with my own sins. I have very little business judging anyone for anything. Whenever I forget that, I always get myself in trouble.
But when I focus on what I should—my own relationship with the Lord—God gives me opportunities to help others and, sometimes, to be a blessing to them.
#BibleStudy #KJVTruth #Matthew7 #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianWisdom
Dogs, Swine, and Beams: Balancing Reproof with Prudence
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